Castle Rock’s Anticlimactic Season 1 Finale Disappoints

Warning: FULL SPOILERS follow for the Castle Rock Season 1 finale, titled “Romans.”

Hulu’s Castle Rock had a difficult task in its first season to create a compelling new narrative, while also adhering to the worldbuilding guidelines laid out by Stephen King’s numerous bestselling novels. If you’re telling a story in the Kingverse, it had better feel like one of author’s stories, and for most of the season, creators Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason accomplished their mission with few missteps. Sadly, the show doesn’t stick the landing in the Season 1 finale, titled “Romans.”

Castle Rock was at its best this season when it found ways to balance its excellent character development with all of the Kingian jargon about schismas, the Voice of God and alternate realities. Episode 7, “The Queen,” was a prime example of everything neatly coming together, as the writers crafted a poignant story about a time-traveling superhero named Ruth (Sissy Spacek). For a deeper look into the finale and what it all means, check out the video below.